In Wrath Remember Mercy
In Chapter 2 Habakkuk the watchman was on the rampart when the Lord answered him. He gave him the vision that judgment on Judah and the Chaldeans would certainly come, it would not delay. He also said, Look! The proud one, his soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith. This is one of the most important verses in the Scriptures. This is the Christian life. No matter what happens or what the circumstances are, the righteous will live by his faith. The Lord is instructing Habakkuk how to live when judgment comes. Then the Lord pronounces woes on the Chaldeans. Their pride, greed, violence, and idolatry, just like ours, is all in vain. It is all about the Lord, For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Judah was committing these sins too. This made the vision even more frightening! (The first 15 verses of chapter 3 is a very difficult passage of scripture to teach from. In general, it does seem to follow events in Exodus, Joshua, and Judges. Some of the other verses are obscure in their meaning. There is no general consensus from commentators on them. The overall theme is God's power over His creation and His fighting for the salvation of His people.)
3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet according to Shigionoth. There are many interpretations of this verse. It most likely is a prayer or a word that was sung to an old melody.
2 Habakkuk, after hearing the Lord's report or message of judgment on Judah and the Chaldeans, is afraid. He prays that the Lord will revive the work He did among His people before the judgment comes. God led them forth as His chosen people to teach them His laws and His ways. He conquered the nations using them. In your wrath remember mercy. He has accepted the fact that it is coming but please remember that we are your people. He remembers that the righteous will live by his faith and that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord. He is beginning to change his thinking. He questioned God in chapter one.
3 Judgement is surely coming, but God will eventually deliver His people. He is quiet now but He has not forgotten you! He is the same God that came into the Sinai to lead Israel out of Egypt by great and mighty miracles. His splendor covers the heavens and the earth is full of His praise. He is God!
4 His radiance is like the sun shining on everything. The rays flash from His hands. He has the power to save by signs and wonders. He has not changed.
5 He commanded plagues and pestilence to punish people. He sends them at His will. This probably refers to what the Lord did to the Egyptians.
6 Only God can stand and measure the whole earth. These were the nations in and around Canaan. Hills and mountains have come and gone, but His ways are everlasting. He created them.
7 Cushan and Midian may refer to Gideon's defeat of the Midianites.
8 Was the Lord angry at the rivers and the sea? No! He created them and moved them by His power for His purposes. The salvation of His people. This verse may refer to the parting of the Red Sea.
9 The bow and the rods or arrows represent the Lord as a warrior, again for His people. Cleaving the earth with rivers may refer to the rock at Horeb.
10 The mountains saw Thee and quaked. That happened at Mount Sinai. The waters and the deep may be speaking of the Jordan River and the Red Sea.
11 The sun and the moon stood still so Joshua could win the battle against the five kings and their armies. Joshua 10:12. Again, the arrows and spear show the Lord as a warrior. He is Jehovah Tsaba, our warrior.
12 Indignation and anger. He conquered the nations and He will conquer the Chaldeans.
13 The Lord fought for the salvation of His people. Anointed in the Greek here means Christ or possibly Christs. Joshua's name means Jehovah Saves and Jesus in the New Testament. House of evil and Joshua refer to the Promised Land.
14 Judges 7:22. In the battle against Gideon, the Midianites killed each other. They came in like a whirlwind against our villages to devour us as the wild beasts do.
15 Sea and waters here may speak of the Red Sea and the Jordan again. It may refer to the armies the Lord conquered for the salvation of His people.
16 This is a graphic picture of what Habakkuk saw and heard from the Lord. Trembling, quivering, and decay in the bones. Judgment is coming and I must wait quietly for it to come. Habakkuk has gone from questioning the Lord to quietly waiting for the invasion. God's ways are not our ways, but they are always right.
17-19 Here is the faith of the righteous! Should all the crops and livestock perish and be destroyed. When the judgment comes I will still exalt the Lord and rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength. His strength lifts me up and makes me walk in boldness in times of trouble. I will pray the prayer of faith. He is my courage in perilous times. He has fought for my salvation and He will do it again. The Chaldeans will ultimately be overthrown. Habakkuk has come through by his faith!
For the choir director on my stringed instrument. Again, this is a prayer or a word from the Lord set to music. This will be the vision that Habakkuk saw and heard from the Lord for the people of Judah. The prophet will declare judgment, but also will give them encouragement. The righteous will live by his faith. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. The Lord is still in His holy temple. Woes will be placed on the Chaldeans. The Lord our God WILL fight for us. He is our strength!
As we read through the book of Habakkuk we see a great change in the prophet. He went from crying out and questioning God to learning more about His ways. In faith, he accepts the inevitable and turns to the Lord for strength no matter what becomes of him and his nation. Did the circumstances change? No! Did God change? No! THE CHANGE WAS IN HABAKKUK AND THE WAY THAT HE LOOKED AT THINGS. This is a great lesson for us today. It seems that the world is getting worse and worse by the day. It is possible that very difficult times are coming for all of us. Remember that Habakkuk in his time of questioning God, still did what the Lord had called him to do. He was a watchman and he stayed on the rampart listening and seeking the Lord's response for the crisis. If we are listening to the Holy Spirit and being led by Him, our views will change on the trials and tribulations in our life. We, like the prophet, can go from distress and doubt to faith and the exultation and rejoicing in the mighty God of our glorious salvation. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Are you questioning God in your life right now?
Do you feel that a crisis is coming?
Maybe it is, but have you looked out into the world to see what the Lord is doing? He is always doing great works because He is God. Focus on Him!
Are you living by your faith or living in your fear?
Are you doing what the Lord has called you to do in spite of your doubt and uncertainties?
He is still in His holy temple. The earth WILL be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Turn to Him for your strength and give Him praise!
Are you searching for God in these scary times? Do you want to overcome your fears and have faith in the future no matter what happens here on earth? Turn to Jesus today. He IS the Prince of Peace. He fought and died for your salvation! He is longing to be your Lord and Savior now and forevermore.
3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet according to Shigionoth. There are many interpretations of this verse. It most likely is a prayer or a word that was sung to an old melody.
2 Habakkuk, after hearing the Lord's report or message of judgment on Judah and the Chaldeans, is afraid. He prays that the Lord will revive the work He did among His people before the judgment comes. God led them forth as His chosen people to teach them His laws and His ways. He conquered the nations using them. In your wrath remember mercy. He has accepted the fact that it is coming but please remember that we are your people. He remembers that the righteous will live by his faith and that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord. He is beginning to change his thinking. He questioned God in chapter one.
3 Judgement is surely coming, but God will eventually deliver His people. He is quiet now but He has not forgotten you! He is the same God that came into the Sinai to lead Israel out of Egypt by great and mighty miracles. His splendor covers the heavens and the earth is full of His praise. He is God!
4 His radiance is like the sun shining on everything. The rays flash from His hands. He has the power to save by signs and wonders. He has not changed.
5 He commanded plagues and pestilence to punish people. He sends them at His will. This probably refers to what the Lord did to the Egyptians.
6 Only God can stand and measure the whole earth. These were the nations in and around Canaan. Hills and mountains have come and gone, but His ways are everlasting. He created them.
7 Cushan and Midian may refer to Gideon's defeat of the Midianites.
8 Was the Lord angry at the rivers and the sea? No! He created them and moved them by His power for His purposes. The salvation of His people. This verse may refer to the parting of the Red Sea.
9 The bow and the rods or arrows represent the Lord as a warrior, again for His people. Cleaving the earth with rivers may refer to the rock at Horeb.
10 The mountains saw Thee and quaked. That happened at Mount Sinai. The waters and the deep may be speaking of the Jordan River and the Red Sea.
11 The sun and the moon stood still so Joshua could win the battle against the five kings and their armies. Joshua 10:12. Again, the arrows and spear show the Lord as a warrior. He is Jehovah Tsaba, our warrior.
12 Indignation and anger. He conquered the nations and He will conquer the Chaldeans.
13 The Lord fought for the salvation of His people. Anointed in the Greek here means Christ or possibly Christs. Joshua's name means Jehovah Saves and Jesus in the New Testament. House of evil and Joshua refer to the Promised Land.
14 Judges 7:22. In the battle against Gideon, the Midianites killed each other. They came in like a whirlwind against our villages to devour us as the wild beasts do.
15 Sea and waters here may speak of the Red Sea and the Jordan again. It may refer to the armies the Lord conquered for the salvation of His people.
16 This is a graphic picture of what Habakkuk saw and heard from the Lord. Trembling, quivering, and decay in the bones. Judgment is coming and I must wait quietly for it to come. Habakkuk has gone from questioning the Lord to quietly waiting for the invasion. God's ways are not our ways, but they are always right.
17-19 Here is the faith of the righteous! Should all the crops and livestock perish and be destroyed. When the judgment comes I will still exalt the Lord and rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength. His strength lifts me up and makes me walk in boldness in times of trouble. I will pray the prayer of faith. He is my courage in perilous times. He has fought for my salvation and He will do it again. The Chaldeans will ultimately be overthrown. Habakkuk has come through by his faith!
For the choir director on my stringed instrument. Again, this is a prayer or a word from the Lord set to music. This will be the vision that Habakkuk saw and heard from the Lord for the people of Judah. The prophet will declare judgment, but also will give them encouragement. The righteous will live by his faith. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. The Lord is still in His holy temple. Woes will be placed on the Chaldeans. The Lord our God WILL fight for us. He is our strength!
As we read through the book of Habakkuk we see a great change in the prophet. He went from crying out and questioning God to learning more about His ways. In faith, he accepts the inevitable and turns to the Lord for strength no matter what becomes of him and his nation. Did the circumstances change? No! Did God change? No! THE CHANGE WAS IN HABAKKUK AND THE WAY THAT HE LOOKED AT THINGS. This is a great lesson for us today. It seems that the world is getting worse and worse by the day. It is possible that very difficult times are coming for all of us. Remember that Habakkuk in his time of questioning God, still did what the Lord had called him to do. He was a watchman and he stayed on the rampart listening and seeking the Lord's response for the crisis. If we are listening to the Holy Spirit and being led by Him, our views will change on the trials and tribulations in our life. We, like the prophet, can go from distress and doubt to faith and the exultation and rejoicing in the mighty God of our glorious salvation. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Are you questioning God in your life right now?
Do you feel that a crisis is coming?
Maybe it is, but have you looked out into the world to see what the Lord is doing? He is always doing great works because He is God. Focus on Him!
Are you living by your faith or living in your fear?
Are you doing what the Lord has called you to do in spite of your doubt and uncertainties?
He is still in His holy temple. The earth WILL be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Turn to Him for your strength and give Him praise!
Are you searching for God in these scary times? Do you want to overcome your fears and have faith in the future no matter what happens here on earth? Turn to Jesus today. He IS the Prince of Peace. He fought and died for your salvation! He is longing to be your Lord and Savior now and forevermore.
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